Opposition MP Utaara Mootu has criticized the recently announced mid-term budget review, presented by Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi on Wednesday. She called for substantial changes to enhance the lives of citizens across the country.
The Landless People's Movement (LPM) representative also condemned the Namibian Statistics Agency for delaying the release of unemployment data from the latest national census, arguing that citizens need accurate information about the state of the economy.
Mootu highlighted the fact that 40.2% of urban households live in informal housing and urged the government to prioritize building homes instead of establishing more committees.
Regarding education, she welcomed plans to construct 512 new classrooms but emphasized the need to equip students, including those with disabilities, with future skills that will help them and businesses remain competitive.
She also advocated for increased support for small-scale farmers to lessen their dependence on imported food and criticized the slow progress toward achieving universal electrification by the 2040 deadline.
"Namibia's economic growth depends on SMEs, but without meaningful investment and reform, we risk stifling the very engine of our economy," she stated.
Meanwhile, PDM MP Inna Hengari praised the Minister for demonstrating fiscal discipline during the current financial year. However, she expressed concerns about weaknesses in the diamond sector, which are expected to significantly impact revenue projections.
Shiimi announced a downward revision of expected revenues for Namibia by over 2.3 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. Hengari called for a proactive vision to unlock new economic opportunities and raised several questions about the effectiveness of the government's drought relief program and the type of assistance available for indebted households.
In response to Hengari's concerns regarding the drought relief program, Minister of Finance Iipumbu Shiimi stated, "This relief program recognizes that farmers have been affected by the drought. Therefore, we need to provide them relief by reducing the amounts they owe for agricultural activities. This means that installment payments are suspended, and the government is paying on their behalf as farmers."
Deliberations on the midterm budget are set to continue when the house reconvenes on Monday.